Process of concentrating ores



Patented Nov. 10, I931 PATENT OFFICE BOYER LUCKEN'IBACH, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK rnocuss or concnmmrme onus 80 Drawing.

The invention relates to the concentration of ores by the froth flotation process, and has for its object to provide a cheap but powerful froth flotation oil having as its base a o petroleum residue which will selector gather the mineral content of the ore.

I have discovered that a heavy petroleum residuum or still bottoms has exceptional mineral selecting properties, surpassin coal tars heretofore used in the flotation o ores when properly diluted or thinned and combined with a stron frothing agent. I have found this minera l selecting quality to be strongest in residuum petroleum oil, more so 5 than in any of the fractions from it. The frother I have found to be very effective in combination with the petroleum is wood or ine pitch diluted in a suitable solvent as erosene oil, or an alkaline solution of pine 0;.pitch, carbon disulphide, alcohol and water,

which is the subject matter of a recent application, Serial No.- 33,506, May 28th, 1925. Other light petroleum distillates are equally as effective as kerosene as a pitch solvent, but the use of carbon disulphide with pine pitch and alcoholis particularly beneficial-in treatment of hi hly basic ores, owing to its elimination of iron from the concentrates when combined with caustic soda or potash, and

30 water as a dilutent. This combination forms the preferred frother, and being also a strong selector the mixture of it with the petroleum oil, alsoa strong mineral selector, produces a powerful flotation of oil very suitable for practically all the principal ores, and its action is still further increased when an alkaline circuit is used in the flotation machines. With an alkaline circuit the amount of oil used is greatly reduced.

Although the pitch xanthate solution as above is very efi'ective as .a frother, small amounts of additional frothing agents can be used, as pine-oil, sulphonated castor oil, cottonseed foots, pine creosote, pine tar and rosin, on special ores as carbonates of copper,

. zinc and lead, also oxides and silicates of these metals upon which sulphonated castor oil and cottonseed foots are very eflective when com- 'bined with the petroleum prepared as specified.

Application filed October 9, 1925. Serial No. 61,588.

This class of ores, of which there are vast deposits in South America and Africa, have been most difficult to recover by any known oils heretofore. Among other oils I havefound to be very effective with wood pitch to form a strong frother with petroleum, is Scotch blast furnace oil, or the ketones, as acetone, ketone residue, etc.

As a dilutent of the petroleum residuum I make use of kerosene oil or any cheap distil- '60 late, together with pine pitch and carbon disulphide to form a thin solution, or can use a solution of kerosene and pine creosote or pine tar. The use of the pine element is to give the dilutent a frothing quality that greatly adds to the efficiency of the petroleum oil when the regular frother is added.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of concentrating ores by flotation, which comprises adding to the mineral pulp an emulsified product of petroleum oil and a pitch and xanthate frother, agitating the pulp under alkaline conditions to form a :Eroth and separating the froth'from the pu p.

2. The process of concentrating ores by flotation, which comprises adding to the mineral pulp an alkaline solutionof a resinous product, carbon disulphide, alcohol and. petroleum oil, agitating the pulp to form a froth and separating the froth from the pulp.

3.. The process of concentrating ores by flotation, which comprises adding to the mineral pulp a diluted petroleum residue, an alkaline solution of wood pitch, carbon disulphide, alcohol and water, agitatin the ulp to form a froth and separating the oth mm the pulp.

4:- The process. of concentrating ores by flotation, which comprises adding to the mineral pulp an emulsion of 50 to 70% of a heavy petroleum residuum, 10 to 15% of a petroleum dilutent for thinning the residuum, and 10 to 30% of a frotherof wood pitch and Xanthate as described, agitating the pulp under alkaline conditions to form a froth and separating the froth from the pulp.

5. The process of concentrating ores by 100 flotation, which comprises adding to the minerel pulp an emulsion of petroleum oil, a xanthate and a frother, agitating the 111 under alkaline conditions to form a, mt and separating the froth from the pulp.

6. The improvement in the concentration of minerals by flotation which com rises sub jecting the mineral in the form 0 a pulp to a flotation operation under alkaline condition in the presence oi xanthete, e petroleum and sulphonated castor oil.

Signed at New York cit in the county of New York and State of New York this 8th day of October A. D. 1925.

ROYER LUCENBACH.

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